Japanese PM Shinzo Abe arrives in India

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday arrived in India on a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and both will lay the foundation stone of the ambitious Rs 1.08 lakh crore Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project.

Abe was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Ahmedabad International airport and the two leaders will take part in a road show that would start from the airport and culminate at the Sabarmati Ashram.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation said singing troupes will perform at 28 different locations along the route to greet Modi and Abe.

They would also visit the iconic 16th century mosque in the old city, Sidi Saiyad Mosque, known for its window filigree work synonymous with Ahmedabad.

They would conclude with a dinner and a closed door meeting at a heritage hotel – House of MG – next to this mosque.

On Thursday morning, Abe and Modi would participate in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the much-touted Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train at Sabarmati Athletic Grounds near Sabarmati railway station.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Union Railway Ministry have already inked a Memorandum of Understanding for the 508-km corridor, with Japan to partially fund the entire project.

With capacity to accommodate 750 people, the bullet train is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities from seven to roughly three hours.

The train project, which is expected to be commissioned by the year 2022, will have a dozen halts. A 21-km-long tunnel will be dug between Boisar and BKC in Mumbai, seven km of which will be under sea